Flood damage forcing High River students into portables

Portable classrooms are being setup in High River as crews work to repair schools that were damaged in Junes flood.

When classes resume in about three weeks, dozens of students in the Catholic system will be attending class in one of about 40 temporary structures.

The towns Catholic schools were hit hardest by the floodwaters.

It will take a full year to fully repair Holy Spirit Academy and about four months to fix Notre Dame Collegiate, officials said.

Students from Notre Dame will be moved to Senator Riley School, which is a part of the public school division, said Christ the Redeemer Catholic Schools Superintendent Scott Morrison. Those students will return to their own school in January.

"We'll be housing an entire school in this facility using one of the wings and a host of portables, so that's amazing for us," he said.

Students from Holy Spirit will be in portables on the Notre Dame site for four months.

Damages to the two Catholic schools will cost about $10 million to fix, Morrison said.

School officials are having a hard time determining enrolment for the fall because they can't reach many families, Morrison said.